Signaling device



March 1, 1932. P. SCHUBERT SI'EGNALING DEVICE Jan Inve t Paui by M

His Attop Patented Mar. l, 1932 srnres o FicE PAUL SGHUBERT, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SIGNALING DEVICE Application filed January 17, 1931, Serial No.

' This invention relates to signaling devices. It is particularly adapted for use as a signaling device for automatically controlling the passage of traffic at street intersections, al-

'though it is not limited necessarily to such use.

Under a system of traffic control wherein a system of green, amber and red lights,

flashing off and on in sequence at predetermined intervals of time is used to regulate the flow of traffic across the intersection, it is impossible to determine the exact moment when a particular light will flash on or off.

Thus with a green light visible, a motorist, some distance away, thinking he has suflicient time to pass the intersection will not decrease his speed and when he arrives at the intersection may find that the green light has flashed off. In such a situation, he is compelled to apply his brakes very suddenly to the detriment of his own vehicle and possibly to that of others immediately in the rear, as is obvious. Similarly with the green light visible, pedestrians may start to cross the intersection only to find that when they are part way across the light has flashed ofl, and they are in the midst of a stream of traffic running in the opposite direction.

Again a motorist may come up to an intersection with the red light visible and stop, just before the light changes. In order to start again, he must shift gears, thus losing time and using up surplus gasoline, whereas if he had known the light was about to change he could have decreased his speed and reached the intersection just as the light changed to green.

It is apparent that the above conditions m can be eliminated if means are provided in connection with the lights which shall indicate to persons approaching the intersection just how much longer the light then visible will stay on.

The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved signal device which will accomplish the foregoing result in a simple and reliable manner.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is di- 509,436, and in Germany February 27, 1930.

rected to the following specification and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan View in section showing the arrangement of parts in the interior of my signaling device; F ig.2 is a view of the colored plate used in the device, and Fig. 3 is a view of the rotating opaque disc.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a casing 1 provided with cylindrical projections 2, which are at right angles to each other, the 'alternate projections being diametrically opposite each other. The casing is adapted to be supported on a post at a corner of a street intersection, or to be hung across the intersection in any suitable manner, it being understood that in so mounting the casing the cylindrical projections will all he in the same horizontal plane with one pair of diametrically opposite projections extending in a direction parallel to one of the streets forming the intersection and the other pair of diametrically opposite projections extending in a direction parallel to the other street forming the intersection. In this way the projections will be visible to persons approaching the intersection from any direction.

The projections are open at their free ends and intermediate their length are each formed interiorly with anannular flange 3 in the inner periphery of which is provided an annular groove 4. Within the grooves are adapted to be seated the transparent plates 5 shown in Fig. 2. These plates are sub-divided into segments of variously colored glass, or the surface of the plate may be divided into segments and painted with vari ous colors as indicated in Fig.- 2. Preferably the segments are colored green, amber and red and are made of arcuate lengths corresponding to the relative lengths of time it is desired for the respective colors to show. The arcuate lengths may be varied to suit the requirements at any particular intersection. Each amber segment is designed to function as a warning that the direction of the flow of traffic is to change and there may be such a warning when the light changes from green to red and also from red to green. Ac-

cordi-ngly two diametrically opposite amber segments are placed between the green segment and the red segment. At the dividing lines between the segments, the periphery of each plate 5 isformed with notches 6 which cooperate with corresponding notches (not shown) formed in the flanges 3.

Within the casing 1 there is provided a suitable source of light 7, generally a white light, the rays of which, passing through the notches 6, will show clearly the lines of division between the various segments. Within the casing there are also provided a plurality of synchronous motors 8, receiving driving current from any suitable source, there being a motor situated in each of the cylindricalprojections. On the shaft of each of the motors is provided a circular opaque disc or screen 9, of the same diameter as the inner periphery of the flanges 3. Each opaque disc 9 lies in a plane which is parallel to the plane of the transparent plate 5 in the same cylindrical projection, but is spaced a slight distance therefrom so that the light from the source 7 will not pass around the disc and enter the space between the disc and the plate 5. The opaque discs are each provided with a radial slot or opening 10 of any suitable shape 'but preferably in the form of an arrow or pointer, whereby the light from the source will pass through this slot and will illuminate only that part of the transparent plate which is opposite the slot, While the rest of the plate will be dark.

It is to be understood that the transparent colored plates 5 which are diametrically opposite have their corresponding segments in alignment, i. e., when the green segment of one plate is being illuminated, the diametrically opposite green segment will likewise be illumnated so that persons approaching the intersection in either direction along the street controlled by these lights will be confronted with the same illuminated segment. It will likewise be understood that when one pair of diametrically opposite plates have their green segments illuminated, the other pair of diametrically opposite plates will have their red segments illuminated and that the amber segments of all the plates will be illuminated simultaneously. It will be further understood that the motors all run at the same speed and therefore will rotate the opaque discs at the same speed so that if the discs are properly set on the shafts of the motors, the slots in the discs will traverse the respective segments simultaneously.

In operation, the light from the source 7' will be prevented from illuminating the plate 5 by the opaque disc 9. However, some of the light will pass through the slot 10 and will illuminate that part of the transparent 'plate opposite the slot and the shape of the illuminated portion of the plate will be that of the slot, in this case an arrow. However,

since the opaque disc is rotated by its motor the slot will also be rotated and will appear as a moving arrow which when it traverses the various segments will have the same color as that particular segment. Since the dividing lines or boundaries of the various segments are indicated by the white lights shining through the notches 6, it will be clear to anyone approaching the intersection just how long the light will remain a particular color and how soon the lights will change from one color to the other.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have provided a signal device which is readily visible and which will indicate exactly how long a particular light will control a street leading into an intersection and which will operate to readily inform persons approaching the intersection how soon the lights will change.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described what I now consider to represent the best embodiment of my invention, but I desire to have it understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is;

1. In a signaling device, a plate, the surface of which is divided into a sequence of differently colored segments, means for moving a beam of light across the surface of said plate, whereby said beam will change color as it passes from one segment to the next segment, and means for indicating the intervalbefore the beam will move from one segment to the next segment.

2. In a signaling device, a plate, the surface of which is divided into a sequence of differently colored segments, means for indicating the dividing line between the segments, and means for moving a beam of light across the surface of said plate, the position of the beam relative to the dividing line indicating means, denoting when the beam will move from one segment to the next segment to change the'color of the beam.

3. In a signaling device, a transparent plate, the surface of which is divided into a sequence of differently colored segments, a source of light, means interposed betwen said plate and said source of light, to prevent the light from the source illuminating said plate, said means being slotted to permit the passage only of a beam of light from said source to said plate, and means for moving the first named means relatively to the plate whereby the beam of light will traverse the segments of the plate.

4:. In a signaling device, a transparent plate, the surface of which is divided into a sequence of differently colored segments, means indicating the dividing lines between said segments, a source of light, an opaque member interposed between said plate and said source of light, said member being adj acent said plate but slightly spaced therefrom, a slot in said member permitting a beam of light from said source to illuminate said plate, and means for moving said member relatively to said plate to cause the beam of light to move across the plate, said beam in its movement changing its color to correspond to the color of the segment it is traversing and the position of the beam relative to the indicating means denoting the interval before the color of the beam will change.

5. In a signaling device, an open-ended cylindrical casing, a circular transparent plate, the surface of which is divided into a sequence of differently colored segments, fitted in the open end of the casing, a source of light in the other end of the casing, an opaque disc of the same diameter as said plate interposed between said plate and said source of light and situated adjacent said plate but slightly spaced therefrom, said-disc being slotted radially to permit a radial beam of light from the source to illuminate said plate, and means for moving said plate and said disc relative to each other to cause the beam of light to move across the surface of the plate.

6. In a signaling device, an open ended cylindrical casing, a source of light in said casing, an annuluar flange on the inner wall of the casing, an annular groove in the inner periphery of said flange, said flange being notched at predetermined points, a transparent plate, the surface of which is divided into a sequence of differently colored segments, seated in said groove, the periphery of said plate being notched to indicate the lines of division between the segments, the notches in said plate being in alignment With the notches in said flange, to permit the light from the source to pass through said notch, an opaque disc, of the same diameter as the inner periphery of said flange, situated adjacent said plate and interposed between said plate and said source of light, said disc being slotted radially to permit only a beam of light to illuminate said plate, and a motor for rotating said disc to cause said beam of light to rotate relative to the plate, the position of said beam relative to the notches indicating the interval before the beam will pass from one segment to the other.

7. In a trafiic regulating signal, a casing, a plurality of open ended cylindrical projections extending from said casing, said project'ions being in a common horizontal plane with the adjacent projections at right angles to each other and the alternate projections diametrically opposite each other, a source of light in said casing, a transparent plate, the surface of which is divided into a sequence of differently colored segments, in each of the cylindrical projections, an opaque disc in each projection intersposed between said plate and the source of light, said discs being slotted radially to permit only a narrow beam of light from the source to illuminate each of said plates and a synchronous motor for rotating each disc to cause each plate to be traversed by a beam of light, said discs being so set that the beams on diametrically opposite plates will be traversing corresponding segments of the plates during the same interval of time, the beams on one pair of diametrically opposite plates traversing segments of one color while the beams on another pair of diametrically opposite plates are traversing segments of another color.

vIn witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of December, 1930. PAUL SCHUBERT. 

